Display device.



No. 821,067. PATBNTED MAY 22, 1906. G. R. STBINHAUSBR,

DISPLAY DEVICE.

APPLIOATION FILED MAR. 27, 1905.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.-

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G. B.. STEINHAUSBR.

DISPLAY DEVICE.

APPLICATION HLM) MMM?, 1905.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

w@ ff No. 821,067. PATENTED MAY 22, 1906. G. R. STBINHAUSER. DISPLAY DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.27.1905.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

mum-1 n www Lo. www...mammina msu-cmu n c UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE..

GEORGE R. STEINHAUSER, OF ST. LOUIS,

MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO NATIONAL MOVING WINDOl/V DISPLAY COMIDANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

DISPLAY DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Eatented May 22, 1906.

Application filed March Z7, 1905. Serial No. 252.215.

To (LZ 1.077.071?, t may concern.'

Be it known that I, GEORGE R. STEIN- HAUsER, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Display Devices, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a view, partly in section and partly in elevation, of a display device constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the tank and the floats therein. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of the inner floats shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is an inverted perspective View of one of the peripheral floats. Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the tank, showing a slightl. -modied form of arrangement of floats and Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the tank, showing a still further modified form of arrangement of floats.

This invention relates to display devices 5 and one of the objects thereof is to provide a mechanism which is adapted to advantageously display merchandise in an attractive manner.

Another object of the invention is to provide means whereby a maximum quantity of merchandise may be displayed in a minimum space.

The preferred form of my invention I have illustrated in Figs. 1 and 4. 1 designates a tank on a suitable floor or support 2. In the center ofthe tank is an upstanding bearing 3, having a central bore, in which is a vertical shaft 4. The lower end of the shaft projects through the bottom of the tank and carries a pinion 5, driven by a-train of gears 6, 7, and 8, the latter gear being on a shaft 9, carrying a winding-spool 10, on which is a cord or cable 11, passing over a pulley 12 and having on one end a weight 13, the gears, drum, and weight comprising a motor to drive the shaft 4. The tank is preferably filled with al suitable liquid, in which is a plurality of floats. 14 designates the central float, which is provided with a central openinO' surrounding the upstanding bearing 3, and the float 14 is provided with a hub 15, rigid on the shaft 4, so that rotation of the shaft will impart rotation to the lloat 14. 16 designates a plurality of radiating arms having terminal eyes 17 and intermediate eyes 18, the eyes 17 receiving the ends of links 19, each link having a terminal bearing 2O for the reception of an axial pivot 21 on a float 22. Each intermediate eye carries a link 23, having a terminal bearing 24, in which rests an axial pivot 25 on one of the inner floats 26, which floats are provided with circumferentiallyarranged flanges 27 to contact with the peripheries of the outer floats 22. Fixed to the shaft 4 is a plurality of radial arms 23, braced by the inclined braces 30, secured to the shaft 4 by the collar 31. Below the collar 31 is a collar `32, carrying a plurality of radial arms 33, on which suitable merchandise may be suspended. '34 indicates a swivel which is carried by one of the arms 28, and suspended from the swivel is a twisted strip 35, connected at its lower portion to a base 36, which base in the present instance is illustrated as being supported on a can or bucket 37 on one of the floats 22.

The operation of the form of device illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4 is as follows: The shaft 4 is driven by a suitable motor-as, for example, by the one illustrated in Fig. 1-and the rotation of the shaft imparts a rotary movement to the concentric shaft 4, which in turn communicates motion to the arms 16 in the direction indicated by the arrows, and as the arms move the floats 22 are moved, which floats are so arranged that their peripheries contact with the inner periphery of the tank 1, causing them to both revolve around the shaft 4 and rotate around their own axes. The rotation of the floats 22 causes the floats 26 to rotate because the flanges of the floats 26 contact with the peripheries of the floats 22. As the upper faces of the respective floats are free, they are adapted to receive articles of merchandise, which may be arranged thereon in any manner so as to produce different effects calculated to attract the attention of persons in the immediate vicinity. Any number of strips 35 may be suspended from the different arms, and on account of the swivel connections it will be obvious that by the rotation of the float which carries the base 36 for the strip said strip will be caused to turn on its axis, and as these strips may be of various colors an ingenious effect will be produced. The arms 23 and 33 may be used IOO for supporting suspended articles such as l may be arranged thereon.

In Fig. 5 I have shown a modified form of float arrangement in which the intermediate floats (designated by the reference-numeral 39) are what are termed dead floats in that they do not rotate, but are carried by the arms radiating from the central float 14. The outer floats, however, rotate during their revolution around the shaft-axis.

In Fig. 6 I have illustrated only one set of fioats 22, the intermediate floats being eliminated. The operation of the mechanism shown therein is similar to that shown in Figs. l to 4.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that the device may be modified to suit various conditions, and I therefore do not limit myself to the exact details of construction shown, but reserve the right to make such changes as may suggest themselves from time to time and which are included within the scope of the accompanying claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a device of the class described, the combination with a tank, of a vertical, rotatable shaft in said tank, radial arms arranged about the shaft and adapted to be driven thereby, circular floats connected to the arms and having frictional contact against the edge of the tank, and floats connected to the arms intermediate their ends and peripherally engaging the peripheries of the firstnamed floats; substantially as described.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination with a tank, of a vertical rotatable shaft in said tank, radial arms arranged about the shaft and adapted to be driven thereby, circular floats connected to the arms and having peripherally-arranged flanges at their bottom portions, and floats connected to said arms and peripherally engaging the peripheries of the flanges and at all times contacting with the inner edge of the tank g substantially as described.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination with a tank, of a vertically-arranged rotatable shaft in the tank, radial arms on said shaft and above the tank, radial arms driven by said shaft and within the tank, floats carried by said arms and rotatable about their aXes, a rotatable strip swivelly connected to one of the first-named arms and alining with but terminating above one of the floats, and a removable device insertible between the float and the lower end of said strip, said insertible device partaking of the motion of its supporting-float so as to rotate said strip; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature, in the presence of two witnesses, this 25th day of March, 1905.

GEORGE R. STEINHAUSER.

Witnesses:

B. F. FUNK, GEORGE BAKEWELL. 

